Give Me Ten Minutes
by queenofomega
Summary: One-shot: Ziva makes a decision in the middle of the night to call Tony and when she's at a loss for words, she gets a surprise visit in which words are not needed.  Fluff. Slight Tiva.


**Disclaimer: Not mine. Still stuck watching seasons 1-6 on DVD... maybe season 7 soon. *sigh***

**Author's Note: A little situation between Tony and Ziva, post-Somalia. Tried to make it as realistic as possible. I haven't seen much of season 7 but I know it still seemed strained between them until later in the season... maybe this was it?**

**Reviews appreciated. :)  
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She woke abruptly, unsure of where she was. Then she realized she was in her own bed, safe, in her apartment. Ziva was breathing heavily, her hands shaking as she pulled her blankets up around her shoulders. It had been several weeks since her conversation with Gibbs and her stay at his house. She had felt safe there and secure. Now she was home but every time she woke up, she kept expecting to wake up on the cold, dirt floor in Somalia. Every time she walked into her living room, she almost expected to find Rivkin's body there. The room had been cleaned but the memories still stained the carpet.

Ziva shivered, not cold but haunted. She couldn't shake off the feelings. She almost considered going back to Gibbs' place but something kept her rooted to her mattress. She knew Gibbs could only do so much for her. He could only offer guidance. He could not fix her problems. No one could except for her.

She glanced at the clock. It was two in the morning. She knew it was not an appropriate time to call but she knew she had to before she... what was the term again... right. Before she roostered out. No. That still was not right. She pulled her cell phone off her bedside table and dialed the number she wanted. It was now or never.

"...hello?" came the half-asleep reply.

"Tony..."

"Ziva?" His voice was instantly brighter and more alert. She heard the touch of concern in his tone. On one hand, it confused her. On the other, she knew it should not have.

"Hello, Tony," was all she could summon from her entire vocabulary.

"Ziva, what's up? It's... early." He obviously had no idea what time it was.

"I... I needed to speak with you."

"Uh, yeah, sure. Uh, give me a minute to, um, wake myself up."

He sounded flustered. Did this mean he did not want to speak with her? Ziva momentarily panicked and debated hanging up. Get a hold of yourself, David, she thought viciously. By the time she was done mentally reprimanding herself, Tony was back on the line.

"Nothing like fresh brewed coffee before an early morning chat with a colleague," he joked lightly.

But he said colleague. Not friend or partner. It was strictly business in his mind. Ziva was silent. Was he as unsure of how to act as she was or was he still... cold.

"Tony, I..."

She was at a loss for words again. She could hear Tony breathing on the other end. Her well-trained ear could tell he was nervous, just like her.

"What's wrong, Ziva?"

"I am sorry."

She was waiting for him to quote Gibbs but he just replied with:

"For what?"

"We never got to finish our conversation in the men's room... I knew you were busy with a case, I should not have disturbed you."

She was rambling. She had no idea what she wanted to say. She called him but on a whim. What did she want to say?

"It's okay, Ziva. You called this early just for that?" he said with a small laugh.

"Tony, I do not know why I called..."

"You called because... well, I'm not good at the whole serious thing but... Zi, I get it. I know you were angry with me and I understand why. I also understand that right now must be confusing. I'm here. I will take your calls at any time. I do care about you, Ziva."

That was the kindest she had ever heard Tony say something. Was it the early hour or was he being honest? She mulled it over in her head. Something was blocking her from ever really understanding everything. Tony and Rivkin, Somalia, her relationship with Mossad and NCIS. Everything. Things had gotten so complicated that she was not sure what to believe anymore.

"Zi, you still there? Ziva?"

"I am here."

"Okay. Listen, give me ten minutes. Will you be okay for that long?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

He hung up, leaving Ziva sitting in bed with her cell phone dangling from her fingers. Ten minutes passed quickly because she was lost in her thoughts and had no sense of time that way. Then she heard a knock on the door. Tony...? She got out of bed, and picked her robe up off the back of the chair near her closet. She wrapped it around herself and headed for the front door. Sure enough, it was Tony.

"But you..."

"Live twenty minutes away? Yeah, well, it's easier to break the speeding laws at this hour 'cause there's no one on the roads. I'm not as skilled at you when it comes to weaving through other vehicles on the road," Tony replied.

In his hands was a bouquet of flowers. Ziva gave him a look.

"Mrs. Reynolds was more than happy to supply me with the petunias from her balcony's flower boxes when I told her the cause. Of course, she said that if I ever knocked on her door this early again, she'd poison any of the food she gives me in her friendly neighbour manner."

Ziva smiled slightly, then her face went serious again.

"You did not need to come all the way here."

She watched Tony let his eyes fall over her living room. He obviously remembered the last time he was in her apartment.

"I wanted to."

It was that which made Ziva tear up. He came all the way to her apartment in the middle of the night, just like he had flown halfway across the world to rescue her.

"Zi?"

"I..."

"Anywhere to put these?" Tony asked, holding up the flowers.

"I'm sure I can find a vase."

They walked into her kitchen to find somewhere to put the flowers. Ziva missed the closeness between them. Their banter and teasing. She felt the awkwardness.

"Tony, I do not want to be alone."

He spun to look at her, surprised. Ziva? Admitting weakness?

"Come here, sweetcheeks."

He wrapped his arms around her. Beneath her thin nightclothes, he could feel soft ridges along her back as well as deep welts. Scars from Somalia.

"Oh, Ziva... I wish I could have gotten to you sooner..."

She nestled into his arms with a sigh.

"Thank you, Tony."

"For what?"

"That's the second time you've said that tonight. Just... for being here."

"You may be a ninja but you don't hide your emotions very well these days," he remarked with a smirk.

Ziva mustered a smile.

"Remember, Ziva, you're never alone. Just like you said, I've always had your back. Always will."

"So what happens back at work? This..."

"Can't happen. I know. But we're not at work right now."

He put his arms around her and escorted her back to her bedroom, somewhere he had never been before. Helping her back to bed, he lay down beside her and wrapped his arms around Ziva.

"Thank you, Zi."

"For what?" she murmured.

"Giving me a chance to make it up to you."

Her response was a snore worthy of drunken sailors everywhere.

**Fin.**


End file.
